Chi Omega
Encyclopedia
Chi Omega is a women's fraternity
and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference
. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis
, Tennessee
.
Chi Omega was founded April 5, 1895 at the University of Arkansas
by Dr. Charles Richardson (an initiate of the Kappa Sigma
Fraternity), Ina Mae Boles, Jean Vincenheller, Jobelle Holcombe, and Alice Simonds. In 1915, Chi Omega established its executive headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky
, pioneering the use of office space among all national women's fraternities, before moving to Cincinnati, Ohio
in 1926. Since 1995, the Fraternity's executive headquarters has been situated on 1.5 acres (6,070.3 m²) in Memphis
, Tennessee
.
The Fraternity's colors are Cardinal
and Straw
, the flower is the white carnation
, the mascot is the owl
, and the symbol is the skull and crossbones
.
Chi Omega made the Make-A-Wish Foundation
its official philanthropy in 2000.
"I... make an earnest plea to my young sisters who may read these words. I urge you not to doff your interest in Chi Omega with your cap and gown but to regard your membership as something so precious that you will make of it a lifelong experience." - Ida Pace Purdue, National President 1904-1910 and First Editor of the Eleusis
Current Editor: Christine Thomas Barnicki
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference
National Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
History
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
by Dr. Charles Richardson (an initiate of the Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
Fraternity), Ina Mae Boles, Jean Vincenheller, Jobelle Holcombe, and Alice Simonds. In 1915, Chi Omega established its executive headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, pioneering the use of office space among all national women's fraternities, before moving to Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
in 1926. Since 1995, the Fraternity's executive headquarters has been situated on 1.5 acres (6,070.3 m²) in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Cardinal (color)
Cardinal is a vivid red, which gets its name from the cassocks worn by Catholic cardinals...
and Straw
Straw
Straw is an agricultural by-product, the dry stalks of cereal plants, after the grain and chaff have been removed. Straw makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. It has many uses, including fuel, livestock bedding and fodder, thatching and...
, the flower is the white carnation
Carnation
Dianthus caryophyllus is a species of Dianthus. It is probably native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years. It is the wild ancestor of the garden carnation.It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 80 cm tall...
, the mascot is the owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
, and the symbol is the skull and crossbones
Skull and crossbones (fraternities and sports)
The skull and crossbones was a common fraternal motiff as a symbol of mortality and warning in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries...
.
Chi Omega made the Make-A-Wish Foundation
Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States that grants wishes to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. The charity now operates in forty-seven countries around the world through thirty-six affiliate offices.The president & CEO of this...
its official philanthropy in 2000.
Purposes
In 1895, the six purposes of Chi Omega were established in order to preserve and enhance the values of each member. The six purposes are friendship, high standards of personnel, sincere learning and creditable scholarship, participation in campus activities, career and personal development, and community service.Organization
The sorority's day to day business activities are overseen by the Governing Council which consists of five elected members. Each individual chapter of Chi Omega receives at least one visit per year from a National Consultant who aids in the development of the young women. Furthermore, each chapter gets additional support from Chi Omega alumnae, national volunteers, professional staff and resource manuals.The Eluesis
The Eleusis is the official publication of Chi Omega Fraternity. In continuous publication since 1899, its mission is to connect Chi Omegas to the national organization by promoting our common experiences, communicating the state of the Fraternity, affirming our values and purposes, highlighting our success stories, and providing resources for the development of women."I... make an earnest plea to my young sisters who may read these words. I urge you not to doff your interest in Chi Omega with your cap and gown but to regard your membership as something so precious that you will make of it a lifelong experience." - Ida Pace Purdue, National President 1904-1910 and First Editor of the Eleusis
Current Editor: Christine Thomas Barnicki